There are some excellent opportunities in Budapest for children and their families to have fun together. The Municipal Great Circus is a headlining event that stays in the city throughout the year, and there a number of family-oriented facilities like the Budapest Zoo, the puppet theatre and the planetarium. Most of the activities listed below can be booked or otherwise arranged with local travel agents.

Children’s Railway 
The Children’s Railway is a narrow-gauge track running for seven miles through hills and a forest on the Buda side of the Danube. The train is operated by a crew of children between the ages of 10 and 14, with an adult engineer at the helm. There a few stops along the way where passengers can disembark and walk along forested walking paths, some of which access important historical sites. The fourth stop along the way is János-hegy station, where there is a walking trail up to the highest point in Budapest. Nearby is a chairlift that provides an alternative means of returning down the hillside. Phone: +36 1 397 5394; website: http://www.gyermekvasut.com/english.html.

Municipal Great Circus
The only permanent circus in all of Europe, the Great Circus is held every afternoon from Wednesday to Sunday, with an additional late show on Saturday and a matinee on Saturday and Sunday. Shows are temporarily suspended during the summer months. Tickets can be purchased on site at the circus itself. Near the circus facility is the Budapest Zoo, another popular attraction with children that can be combined into an exciting daylong family event. In all, the zoo is home to more than 2,000 exotic animals in a well-landscaped green space. Circus Phone: +36 1 344 6008.

Local Rides and Attractions
Budapest hosts a variety of thrill rides and similar attractions that appeal to children of all ages. Near the Great Circus, Funfair Park has been around for 150 years, and facilities include dozens of adrenaline-pumping rides like the Ikarus Space Needle; the Hip-Hop Tower (where brave adventurers plunge into a thrilling free-fall); and the Star Roller Coaster. On separate facilities, the Budapest Eye is another favourite attraction with children. A hot-air balloon (tethered to an anchor near the West End Mall) ascends almost 500 feet above the city and offers raw, unparalleled views of Budapest. Funfair Park phone: +36 1 363 8310; Budapest Eye phone: +36 1 238 7623.

Budapest is a city rich in history and culture, and locals celebrated the city’s millennium birthday back in the 19th century. Museums, art galleries and concert halls are spread across both Buda and Pest, with a dense concentration along Andrássy út. The Romans established a settlement here early in the first millennium, and there remains to this day an excellent collection of ruins. Budapest is also widely recognised for its music, and throughout the year visitors can attend recitals, festivals and concerts that highlight classical music from the previous centuries.

Aquincum
Once an ancient Roman Garrison, Aquincum is the ancient core of Budapest. The Romans established this settlement in 106 AD and built paved roads, fountains and homes with elaborate heating and drainage facilities. A façade of modern neighbourhoods continue to emerge here, behind which visitors can access Hungary’s finest Roman ruins. The Aquincum Museum sits at the centre of the Roman civilian bloc. Relics here include numerous sculptures, pottery and tiled mosaics that once served as flooring in the governor’s palace. Perhaps the most fascinating exhibit is a recreation of the 3rd century Roman hydra, essentially a portable organ. Museum phone: +36 1 250 1650.

Budapest History Museum
Sometimes known as the Castle Museum, this institute explores more than 2,000 years of local history. Part of the Royal Palace complex, the museum has refurbished several palace rooms and converted them into exhibits. A permanent exhibit on the ground floor explores life here during the Middle Ages, and there are several Gothic-period statues here that were excavated in the 1970s. Phone: +36 1 225 7815.

Hungarian National Gallery
House in the Royal Palace, the National Gallery is a massive collection of Hungarian art spanning the last 1100 years. Multiple artistic periods are covered here, and some of the most outstanding exhibits include collections of Gothic sculptures made from wood, Renaissance stonework and a wealth of Baroque art. More recent paintings from the past two centuries tell the story of the wars and struggles that gripped this region during that period. Phone: +36 1 201 9082.

Hungarian National State Opera House 
This is one of Budapest’s most impressive buildings, begun in 1884 in neo-Renaissance style. The gift shop on the eastern face of the building sells tickets for guide tours of the opera house. Most of these tours involve at least a short musical performance. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium is large enough to accommodate 1261 patrons, and an international team of engineers in the 1970s determined that the acoustics here were the third-best in all of Europe. Of course, these acoustics are best appreciated during one of several operas hosted here throughout the year. +36 1 332 8197; website: http://www.opera.hu/.

Matthias Church
One of the key sites on Castle Hill, Matthias Church dates back to the 11th century though the building that stands today was built later in the 1300s and later restored in the 1800s. This church takes its name from Matthias Corvinus (though it is officially called the Church of Our Lady). The church is adorned with beautiful stained glass along with wall hangings and frescoes that were contributed by Romantic-age painters. Inside the church, the Museum of Ecclesiastical Art is a highlight for most visitors. It contains sacred stone carvings and other relics that date to medieval times. Phone: +36 1 355 5657.

Museum of Fine Arts
Budapest’s Fine Arts Museum is located on Heroes’ Square across from the Palace of Art. Built in the first decade of the 20th century, the building reflects neoclassical architectural style. Inside is an excellent collection of European paintings (nearly 3,000 in all) reflecting the evolution of the continent’s artwork between the 1200s and 1700s. Also on site are a collection of sculptures (highlighted with work from Leonardo da Vinci); a tribute to Victor Vasarely; a collection of graphic artwork and a sampling of ancient Egyptian art. The latter was collected by Eduard Mahler, a Hungarian Egyptologist who sought out these treasures in the 1930s.

Néprajzi Múzeum 
Offering a window into local life and culture throughout the ages, the Ethnography Museum is located in Pest’s Inner Town in a building constructed in the late 19th century. The first floor focuses on life in Hungary with recreations of peasant houses that once stood in Transdanubia, and the museum has also collected several relics from this era. A recent addition to the museum added interactive work stations that explore local folk art, festivals and traditional dress. The museum’s second floor is devoted to cultures across Greater Europe and the world. Phone: +36 1 473 2400; website: www.neprajz.hu/english.

Shopping in Budapest alternates between traditional folk art, ultra-modern shopping complexes and trendy boutiques. Products at both ends of this spectrum are generally of a very high quality. The best top-end shopping districts are located in central Pest, with multiple market areas, book sellers and antique shops spread across both sides of the Danube River.

There is a delightful selection of locally-recorded folk music available in Budapest. Much of this market is devoted to classical music which is popular throughout the country. Meanwhile, the Ecseri Flea Market situated in the 9th district peddles a dizzying array of quirky collectibles and peculiar souvenirs that make interesting gifts.

Traditional handicrafts available in Budapest include ceramics, embroidery, hand-painted wooden toys, porcelain, dolls and hand-woven baskets. Hungary is especially well-known for its pillows and comforters, stuffed with goose feathers and down. These products exhibit outstanding quality and command international attention from dealers. They are reasonably priced and certain to last many years. 

Antique hunters and connoisseurs of vintage books head to Pest where dealers cater to their needs with a rich supply of antique items. Meanwhile, the leviathan shopping malls in Pest offer a holistic shopping experience highlighted with food courts and amusement areas aimed especially at children.

In recent years, Budapest has transformed the face of its dining scene, and there are an increasing number of high-end restaurants serving quality cuisine that represents a variety of influences. Self-service restaurants were once prevalent throughout Budapest though they’re in decline now. In their place you’ll find little étkezde (essentially canteens) serving simple local cuisine at competitive prices.

Traditional coffee houses are being joined by newer tea houses, both of which serve their namesake along with light lunches and pastries. For fast and inexpensive food, the Oktogon region is well-stocked with international fast-food mainstays such as McDonalds, Burger King and Pizza Hut.

Traditional Hungarian cuisine is often rich and heavy. Paprika is commonly featured in local dishes including goulash, a thick stew which locals claim as their national dish. Paprika fish soup (halászlé) is a mainstay of the local diet, as is roast goose leg (sült libacomb) and goose liver (libamáj). Chicken smothered in paprika sauce (paprikás csirke) is another delicious treat.

Traditionally, Hungarian meals are always accompanied by sour pickles (often called saláta). If you wish to order an actual green salad, you’ll need to specify that you’d like vitamin saláta. Staples like rice and potatoes are usually served with dinner, and a particularly nice side dish is tarhonya, which is Hungarian pasta that resembles couscous.  

Hungary has numerous wine-producing regions, and these vintages pair nicely with the local cuisine. A distilled fruit wine (pálinka) is ubiquitous in Hungarian social life. It is often made from plums, apricot or pears. There is at least a domestic demand for local beers, though these pale in quality when compared with the widely-available imported brands. 

Budapest is gaining credibility as a viable destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Local government has been working hard to add cycling lanes to the city’s parks and scenic areas (a fact which means tourist maps are quickly outdated). Thermal springs and a labyrinth of caves and secret passages have long garnered attention from locals and visitors alike. Meanwhile, the Danube River continues to foster every possible brand of water sport. If you prefer the land to the water, the Buda Hills are popular with hikers and mountain bikers alike. 

Canoeing
Canoes and kayaks are both common sights on the Danube River. Motorized boats are prohibited in the waters directly north and south of town, making this a perfect place to launch a canoe and do some leisurely exploring. Romai-part (which is part of the ancient Roman city of Aquincum) is a particularly well-suited place to begin a tour by boat, and there are several outfitters here that rent out canoes and kayaks at daily rates. Peripheral water sports are also present on the Danube. Outside of the safe zone, companies offer wake boarding and water skiing.

Cycling
Budapest has a growing cycling scene, and city planners project that today’s 90 miles of cycling lanes will double in the next ten years. Organised sightseeing excursions by bicycle are increasingly popular with tourists, and many travel agents can help arrange just such a tour. Most of these explore Castle Hill, Heroes’ Square, Inner Pest and City Park. Cycling lanes are often shared with pedestrians; the best infrastructure is usually found in conjunction with the city’s parks and gardens. The main city streets can be quite congested, making cycling on the primary arteries more of a chore though conditions can be quite nice in more remote areas alongside the Danube.

Spelunking
Beneath the surface of Budapest is a vast network of caves and other geological features carved by the more than 60 active thermal springs at work in this region. There are two notable caves near Budapest, both of which are open to guided (Hungarian language) tours. Szemlö Cave is widely recognized as the most beautiful cavern in the area. It features numerous stalagmites and stalactites along with other less easily characterised formations. Less than a mile to the north is Pálvölgy Cave, known for its impressive bat population. Conditions in this cave are a bit more extreme, with a great deal of climbing split between a ladder and a total of 400 stair steps.